The world has fallen into chaos after the "Transition", describing an event where a virus that infected animals was found to be deadly to humans, resulting in the mass slaughter and burning of animals, with the world's population forced either to go vegan or eat each other.

Soon cannibalism was institutionalized, industrialized and normalized, with some humans bred for consumption known as "special meat".

He appears to develop feelings for the FGP and begins having sex with her, which is regarded as one of the worst transgressions in society.

Marisa insists on hosting a "farewell party" for their father but Marcos leaves after discovering his sister's "domestic head."

Marcos closes by saying "She had the human look of a domesticated animal.” Tender Is the Flesh was a winner of Argentina's Premio Clarin de Novela prize[4] and was praised by several critics.

The New York Times Book Review's Daniel Kraus described the novel as "powerful" in displaying the monstrosities and desires of the hierarchical structure of capitalism.

[2] Kraus also identified that replacing pigs with humans completely alters the view within the novel of industrialized farming.

[2] Justine Jordan of The Guardian saw the landscape of the novel as similar to Argentine author Samanta Schweblin's novel Fever Dream.

[5] Tierney also identified the main weakness of the novel as Bazterrica babying the reader, with the book improving considerably when this restraint is relaxed.